Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-14
HIS LIFE AT STAKE.
Progress of the BGtger Murder
Trial.
The Evidence Submitted this Morn
ing-Indifference Of the Prisoner
A Crowded Court Room.

ing Indifference Of the Pris0ner--
A Crowded Court Room.
Notwithstanding the stormy weather,
long before court opened this morning
quite an audience had assembled in
the court room to listen to the Bptger
murder trial. and the crowd, as the day
advanced, filled all the seats and some of
the standing room in the aisles. The
spectators are mosotly Germans and it is
natural that their sympathies should be
largely in favor Of the prisoner. BGtger
is young German, about twenty-four or
twenty-five years OF sge. medium height.
fair complexion, light hair and mustache
and blue eyes, and of q rather prepos
sessing appearance. His manner since
the beginning of the trial has been stolid
and Indifferent, and be either has great
confidence in his ability to prove his in.
nocence or is indifferent to his fate. To-
day he showed a little more feeliag than
on Saturday, but still less than would
naturally be expected from man in his
circumstances
The proceedings this morning were
void of special interest, though some of
THE MOST IMPORTANT WITNESSES
for the prosecution were on the stand,
being T. J. Buford, Jr., and Ole Olsen,
two foot passengers who were on the
bridge at the time of the accident. and
James Cozatt, at the time engineer of the
bridge, now superintendent of the Union
street railway company The details of
the testimony are as follows:
Thomas j. Buford, Jr: Live in St.
Paul, MINI. July 81, 1885, lived in Rock
Island. On that date, at about 8 O'Clock
IN the evening, was coming across the
bridge from Davenport to Rock Island
was on the bridge when the clock struck
8, had reached the north end of the draw
span of the bridge when heard indis-
iinct cries that seemed to come from be-
low the bridge: | hurried up and found
two or three men, probably four. among
them the guard and the defendant, talk.
ing. heard them ask the accused who
the woman was and how she came TO be
thrown over. We were all standing abou
fifteen feet from the south end of the
bridge. The guard said he would hav,
to detsln him, and put him un'
der arrest, and then put him in The
little guard house at the end Of the bridge
BTtger made no attempt TO get away
BGtger said while was there that th,
woman was his wife, and he said that tn
affair happened in this way: That they
were coming across together and his wifi
told him 10 stop on little and speak Il
soldier and that he walked away from
her few steps, and hearing her cry h
turned around in time to see her fall owe
the rail. He said he
DID NOT TRY TO SAVE HER
because he co1ld not swim. He SCENE
very cool. and collected about the Who'll
matter and not at all excited, as some c
the parties around them were. BE wa
taken from this little guard house to on
upon the island; he objected to going
said he did not want TO be put in dar
room. He had scuffie with the guar
about going. aud in this tussel lost b.
album. which all this time he had carried
,. under his arm. He finally Was taken /
the guard house. Upon being asked i
the first place who the woman was. b
said he knew nothing about her exceI
that she was large woman; finally b
admitted that she was his wife.
james Cozatt; Was engineer OF tn
bridge in July last. and 10 the absence Q
/ the superintendent had charge of il
W lADtSs utNIlOtS luC lOCdlGOH Vi lut lit
work, railing, span, engineer and fire
mans room. He says he was attracted t
the accidentby the cry of the fireman an
| went for his boat, and in company wit
s the fireman searched the river for tn
body. The next day he examined th
$ railing where the woman is said to hav
gone over, and found the cob>webs, whic
at that time covered the entire bridg,
brushed off, and the paint at one plac'
eighteen inches from the bottom, rubbe
' off. He says this rubbing Of the pain
b, might have been done by the foot {
the person climbing over. or il migt
, have been made by person getting
, foothold to throw another one over.
Ole Olsen: Live in Louisville, Nebras
ka; was in Moline last July visiting IN
sister who lives there. On July 81 las
was crossing the bridge coming fro
!. Davenport to Rock Island When &C
10 the south end OF the bridge IN abol
the middle of the first span l saw tw
} men and a woman, the first one | passe
+ | was short fellow, and then there ws
p this defendant and woman. Tia
. defendant and the woman were talking
They were all standing still at the tim,
She said she wanted to go home. and SD
took a step or too towards Rock Island
; and the man said to wait and he woul
follow her. | then went on and had 60
10 the guard house when | heard
SCREAM,
n and then / went to the railing and sa,
: the woman in the water. | saw Ii
woman there and she screamed thrt
times or cried out. The witness CORE
borated the testimony of Thos. J. 81